Boy A review

Can we ever escape our past? Could guilt travel through the years and hinder the person we are becoming? In Boy A these are the things Jack (Andrew Garfield) tries to do. John Crowley directs with a thorough eye, allowing the film to slowly unravel its clues to give us some possible answers to the questions it raises. The film follows a boy who is sentenced to jail for a murder. When he reaches 18, he is given a second chance, one in which he is forever grateful for, a new name, and a new life.

Here the film follows him through these new steps, a newbie in a world that has grown past him. He stumbles along learning as he goes, ultimately making friends and maybe even a girlfriend. Whenever he gets confused or has a problem adjusting he calls or visits his mentor, played by Peter Mullen (fantastically I might add). This first act is good, solid, interesting, but nothing spectacular. Boy A is a quite film, subdued in scope and style, but it’s when Jack witnesses a car accident off road, he runs to help the passengers. After the police come, he is dubbed a hero, something everyone wants to congratulate him on; the newspaper wants to do a piece, the little girl whom he saved, writes him a heartfelt thank you, but this type of publicity is not what he needs.

Despite my initial opinion of the film, here with this turning point the film becomes really good and worth recommending. The role the media plays is brought up, and a the serious question of if a person can really be rehabilitated is asked and is the film’s real theme. This is the stuff that makes Boy A a great ride. It premiered on British TV and if our own TV films could be half as good as Boy A, I’d be very happy. The film is bleak and uncompromising; a rare journey in which it asks questions only we can answer after the credits roll.

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